Protecting the environment with intelligence

New trailer for EIA film Blood Ivory Smugglers

26th December, 2011

With its UK premiere this Thursday (December 29) on Nat Geo Wild at 8pm, we’re pleased to share this new trailer for Blood Ivory Smugglers.

Made by London production company Red Earth Studio for National Geographic, the documentary follows EIA investigators as they assess the state of elephant poaching in Kenya and go undercover, posing as ivory buyers to penetrate markets in China in a bid to discover what is driving the black market trade despite the country being allowed to purchase ivory at CITES-sanctioned auctions.

Using covert filming to piece together the evidence, their findings indicate the Chinese Government is profiteering on this ‘legitimate’ ivory by selling it internally at vastly inflated prices.

Nat Geo Wild is available on Sky Digital (Knowledge pack) and Virgin (XL pack) and can be found at Sky channel number 528, Virgin Media channel number 228 and UPC channel number 216.

Nat Geo Wild HD is available on Sky Digital (Knowledge pack). Find us at Sky HD channel number 544 and UPC HD channel number 222.

Blood Ivory Smugglers is repeated on Nat Geo Wild on December 29 at 11pm, on New Year’s Day at 10pm and on January 5 at 3pm.

EIA on Facebook

China's blow to recycling means increased demand for brand new plastic - and the USA is cashing in

At a time when the apparent scale of global plastic pollution is spurring many nations to take action to reduce manufacture and prevent plastic waste from further polluting the environment, opening new polyethylene plants is reckless and irresponsible, akin to opening new CFC production factories after we first discovered ozone depletion.

And guess what? The same companies that punched a continent-sized hole in the ozone layer are still involved …

The world’s governments need to focus on reducing production of virgin plastics and investing in domestic reuse and recycling – continued growth of plastic production will just perpetuate the throwaway society and marine plastic pollution.

The loss of forests in Africa in the past century is substantially less than previously estimated, an analysis of historical records and paleontology evidence by Yale researchers shows.

Previous estimates put deforestation at 35% to 55% on the continent since 1900. The new analysis estimates closed-canopy forests have shrunk by 21.7%, according to findings published Dec. 11 in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution. However, research also shows that some West and East African forests have been reduced between 80% and 90%.

International award recognises EIA’s ‘unique’ climate investigations and work

We were delighted to be among 60 recipients recognised in the Ozone Awards 2017 by Parties to the Montreal Protocol for extraordinary commitment and outstanding contributions to fighting climate change.

EIA was singled out for a Partnership Award in recognition of its unique contributions over several decades. The Secretariat noted: “From hard-hitting investigations on illegal ODS trade to successful advocacy to accelerate the HCFC phase-out and adopt a global HFC phase-down, EIA plays a unique and valuable role within the Montreal Protocol family."